The present invention relates to mass document and mail sorting equipment, and more particularly to a device for rotating envelopes transported along a mass mail sorter from a vertical position to a flat horizontal exit position and discharging the envelopes in a horizontal orientation directly into a receptacle such as a mail container.
In the use of mail sorting equipment, large numbers of envelopes are normally transported at high speeds in a vertical position or orientation along a sorting path. Apparatus within the sorting equipment automatically reads the zip code or address indicia on the envelopes, and sorts the envelopes into uniform zip code groupings to allow the user to take advantage of lower postal rates. Envelopes of similar zip code are deviated from the sorting path at predetermined locations.
In existing equipment, upon being sorted into separate bins which collect envelopes in groups bearing a uniform zip code, the envelope groups are stacked vertically in the bins. When a bin is observed by an operator to be full, or nearly full, the stack of envelopes is manually lifted and deposited into standard mail receiving receptacles or containers. In the case of larger or "flat" mail, such as catalogs, pamphlets, large envelopes of unfolded mail and the like, such grouping of material may be too heavy to be readily lifted from a bin and placed in a receiving container. Additionally, this process requires the exertion of physical labor that is avoided using the apparatus of the present invention.
A primary object of the present invention is to receive documents conveyed along a primary conveying path and diverted into a secondary document engaging and transporting path in a substantially vertical orientation, rotate the documents into a substantially horizontal direction while the documents are being conveyed in the secondary path, and delivering the documents sequentially in a substantially horizontal orientation from the secondary path into a receiving container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a document re-orientation conveying and delivery system for a sorting apparatus which automatically adjusts to securely grip and convey documents such as mail of different thicknesses.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a document conveying and re-orientation system for a document sorting apparatus which ejects documents from a document engaging and transporting path in a horizontal orientation and in a downwardly angled trajectory to facilitate the delivery of the documents directly into a receptacle located at the end of and slightly below the end of the document engaging and transporting path.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a document engaging and transporting path for a sorting apparatus which engaging and transporting path extends between adjacent runs of two flexible belt systems extending between respective pairs of rollers, one roller of each pair being vertically disposed and the other roller of each pair being horizontally disposed such that as they are advanced, the documents change from a vertical to a horizontal orientation and are delivered horizontally into a receiving receptacle or container.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a document engaging and transporting path formed by a plurality of adjacent moving belts providing an entrance nip between the portions of the belts forming the nip, whereby the nip is partially defined by an idler roller which is movable to vary the position of the nip in the document engaging and transporting path.